St Mary de Haura – a Norman treasure in the heart of our town

Did you know that a leading architectural historian of the twentieth century John Harvey placed St Mary de Haura among his ‘top fifty non-cathedral churches’ in the country?

This was a list of churches that, though not technically cathedrals, nonetheless belong in a category of ‘greater churches’ whose architectural importance cannot be underestimated.

The uniqueness of St Mary’s architecture stems from its Norman foundation. The church was built between 1100 and 1225, as the town and harbour of New Shoreham were planned and built by the Normans to replace the port at Old Shoreham which was slowly silting up (the unusual name ‘de Haura’ means ‘of the harbour’ in Latin) The architecture is a mix of Norman and Transitional styles. It’s a wonderful example of how Norman church architecture developed from pure Norman into Gothic style. From the outset, this beautiful church dominated the life of the town in the manner of an Italian or French Cathedral.

The church’s inception arose from slightly murky circumstances. Unlike other large churches which had monastic foundations, usually built by religious Orders of monks or nuns, St Mary de Haura was founded by an individual, William de Braose. People often wonder what motivated a single person to construct a church of such vast dimensions. Well, we can’t be sure, but it is often claimed that William de Braose felt this major work was his act of contrition, having been held responsible for the murder of Welsh officials in 1176. Whatever his reasons for funding the building work, however, de Braose didn’t stay around to see the church completed; he later had to flee the country owing debts to King John. From its inception, then, St Mary de Haura was a church that was enmeshed not just in spiritual life but in politics and economics too.

Sadly, the bulk of the church – the medieval nave – declined into ruin slowly from the early seventeenth century until about 1727 when the nave was dismantled, leaving the remains of the west wall standing in the churchyard. The parts of the early Norman church which remain within the present

ARE YOU A FRIEND OF ST MARY’S?

It only costs £10 a year to support the maintenance and restoration of this beautiful building in the heart of Shoreham

Join today on The Friends page: www.stmarydehaura.org.uk building include the tower Crossing and the North and South Transepts. The Flying Buttresses – one of the most striking features of St Mary de Haura – date from around 1225 and were constructed to support the heavy weight of the stone vaulting of the Medieval Choir.

There is much more to say about the fascinating architectural history of St Mary’s, and we are pleased to be offering church tours as part of the Heritage Open Days later this year (watch this space for details!)

In the meantime, if you are able to support the ongoing maintenance and repair of the historic heritage of St Mary de Haura, please do think about becoming a Friend of St Mary’s. Each donation goes a long way towards preserving the wonderful history of St Mary de Haura for future generations.

For more information, please visit the website: www.stmarydehaura.org.uk